


Comfort Food

by Aini_NuFire



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Crew as Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feels, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25610305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aini_NuFire/pseuds/Aini_NuFire
Summary: Comfort comes in many forms, from good food to the company of good people.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47
Collections: Star Trek Fandom Potluck Collection





	Comfort Food

Soji sat at one of the tables in the mess, a spoon and entire tub of peppermint ice cream set before her. It was her favorite, especially with French fries, but on crappy days she forwent the added saltiness and just dove into the ice cream. Back when she believed she was human, there had been a measure of guilt to go along with the comfort food binge. How many hours would she have to work out in a holosuite to burn off the excess calories?

Now she knew she was a synth, and she didn't have to worry about watching her figure. She could eat nothing but ice cream for the rest of her life without any ill effects.

Well, maybe not to her weight, but she suspected all that sugar would still make her feel sick. She jabbed half-heartedly at the ice cream and took another bite, idly considering testing the theory.

"Uh-oh," an aged voice interrupted her wallowing. "I recognize this picture."

Soji looked up with a furrowed brow at Picard.

"The giant tub of ice cream," he clarified. "It's one of the more popular go-tos for 'comfort food.'"

Soji dropped her gaze. "It's not really having the effect it used to."

"Oh?"

She stared at the white ice cream. "I remember a boy dumping me in high school, and I was so heartbroken that I curled up in my room for days, crying. Dahj brought me the largest tub of peppermint ice cream she could replicate and we sat together eating it until it melted."

Soji tightened her fists.

"But none of that really happened."

Picard moved forward and slid into the bench seat across from her. "It's real to you, though."

"But it _wasn't real_ ," she pressed. Her entire life was a lie, a construct meant to help her infiltrate the organics. When she'd first regained her memories of being a synth and her origins on Coppelius, that false life had faded to the background for a time. But now, when the rush of adrenaline and imminent threat of destruction was over, Soji still had those fake memories of a life she never lived.

"Dreams aren't real," Picard said. "Holo stories aren't real. Some species engage in vision quests. All of which can be argued aren't real. And yet the experiences still inform us, shape us. If Dahj were still alive, she would share that same memory, wouldn't she? And that makes it real."

Soji flicked a doubtful glance up at him, and yet she wanted to take solace in his interpretation.

"You haven't had a chance yet to grieve your sister," Picard added mournfully.

Soji looked away again. "That's what I was trying to do," she admitted softly. "But all I could think was, is there really anything to grieve? If all Dahj and I shared were false, implanted memories, was she even really my sister?"

Even as she said it, her chest constricted with guilt and grief.

"I think you know the answer to that," Picard replied knowingly.

Soji swallowed hard and nodded.

"May I join you?" he asked.

Soji hesitated, then nodded. Picard stood up and went to the replicator to get a spoon. When he came back over and sat down, Soji nudged the tub of ice cream closer so he could get a scoop.

"I only knew Dahj for a brief time," he went on. "Will you tell me about her?"

Soji's heart clenched again. "The stories never happened."

Picard raised his spoon at her. "Ah, but if you two had grown up together, don't you think they might have played out in similar fashion? If Dahj had just had her heart broken, what food would you bring her now?"

Soji sighed with a small, wistful smile. "Grilled cheese sandwich."

Picard smiled in return. "Good choice."

Soji jabbed her spoon into the ice cream again and proceeded to tell Picard about her sister. Maybe he was right; maybe it didn't matter what was "real" and what wasn't. _Dahj_ had been real. And so was Soji's love for her.

.o.0.o.

The ship was quiet, a rare occurrence nowadays what with six other people living onboard. Rios couldn't even think of them as passengers anymore because none of them had given him a destination to take them. They were just… _staying_.

He honestly didn't know whether to be irritated or not. What they'd been through together had instigated a sort of bond among them—the kind a crew forged through fire. And that made him slightly angry because he'd sworn off ever having a crew again. And now he had one, a whole motley conglomeration who seemed perfectly content to just hang around while Rios attempted to resume his usual work as a transport ship.

He made his regular rounds of _La Sirena_ , making sure everything was in its place. He came around the corner into the mess and spotted Elnor sitting at the table, arms folded across the top, head slightly bowed. He had neither food nor drink in front of him.

Rios walked right past to head for the bridge, only to stop at the bottom of the stairs and glance back. The kid hadn't moved, hadn't acknowledged him, and there was a definitive despondent slump in his shoulders. Rios could continue on his way without being bothered, let someone else handle it. But no one else was currently around.

He hung his head between his shoulders for a brief moment and then pivoted to head back.

"Hey, kid," he said, coming over and clapping a hand on Elnor's shoulder. "Why so glum?"

Elnor looked up at him, expression so open and vulnerable that Rios internally grimaced at what he'd walked in on.

"I miss Vashti."

"Ah." Rios took a seat on the perpendicular bench. "You want to go back there?"

Elnor's angled brows knitted together. "No. I didn't belong there. And I like it here," he added fervently. "With you and Picard and Seven. It's just…"

"You miss Vasthi," Rios finished.

Elnor nodded. "Yes."

Silence fell between them, leaving Rios unsure whether that was it and he'd done his due diligence and should go on his way or if that would be a disservice to the poor kid. After a few more awkward moments, he stood up and went to the replicator instead, punching in a rarely used sequence. When the plate materialized, he picked it up and brought it back over to set on the table.

Elnor's brows shot upward. "Osol twists," he exclaimed. "I didn't know you had Romulan dishes on file."

"Not many," Rios warned. "And this is the only confection in the database. I'm told it's a popular dessert."

Elnor nodded eagerly and picked one up. "I could never get enough of these as a child."

Rios had to hold back a smirk at the fact Elnor was barely out of childhood, but he was glad he'd guessed correctly on the Romulan dish. "Sometimes a little taste of home helps."

Elnor beamed at him, his previous forlorn expression replaced with a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Rios returned it and clapped him on the shoulder again as he stood. "Any time, _hermano_."

.o.0.o.

"Dammit," Raffi cursed under her breath as she paced the small length of her room. Whose bright idea was it to lock her out of override and meta override on the replicators?

Oh right, hers. There had to be a way around it. Cris could probably get Mister Hospitality to release the restrictions. But then he'd know Raffi would be drinking again. Not that he'd say anything or even judge her for it. Plus, it wasn't like she was planning on going on a binge again. She just wanted to relax with a nice glass of wine. She was entitled to that, wasn't she? Maybe she could find someone to replicate a glass for her.

She left her quarters and headed down to the mess, brightening considerably when she saw who was down there.

"Seven, bae, you are just the person I wanted to see."

Seven's lips quirked as she turned toward Raffi. "Oh?"

"I'm feeling celebratory," she said, rubbing her hands together. "How about you replicate us a nice bottle of Burgundy?"

Seven arched a brow in surprise but shrugged and went over to the replicator. Yet when she ordered the specified drink, nothing materialized. "Must be a malfunction," she commented, leaning around to dislodge the side panel.

One of the emergency holograms flickered into place. "Getting someone to replicate your alcohol for you counts as a meta override, which you've locked yourself out of," he said primly, closing his leather bound PADD with a crisp snap.

Raffi sputtered indignantly. "You can't be serious."

Mister Hospitality just gave her a smug grin and flickered off.

She sank heavily onto a bench seat.

"I'm sure we could find other ways to celebrate," Seven offered. "What exactly is the occasion?"

Raffi sighed, her shoulders slumping forward as she dropped her elbows onto her thighs. "There isn't one. I lied, alright? I'm not feeling peppy; I'm feeling morose and wanted to indulge in a pick-me-up."

Seven merely nodded. "Seems to me you need an alternative pick-me-up."

Raffi dropped her face into her hands and groaned.

"Chocolate is a good option."

"Eh." She'd rather have the wine.

"If you were faced with your last meal in this galaxy, what would you order?" Seven asked.

Raffi looked up. "I'm sorry, how is that comforting?"

"I thought we were going for indulgence, not comfort," she replied with a cheeky quarter smile.

Raffi huffed but gave it some serious thought for several moments. "Banana waffles," she decided.

Seven turned back to the replicator and punched it in. A moment later she brought over a plate of three waffles and a separate container of maple syrup. Raffi swiveled on the bench seat to face the table and dug in, holding the first bite on her tongue to savor it.

"How is it?" Seven asked.

Raffi nodded and swallowed. "It's perfect." She reached out to twine her hand in Seven's. "Indulgent _and_ comforting."

.o.0.o.

Elnor found Picard where he usually liked to spend his time: the holosuite, in the replicated version of his study back on his Earth home.

"If you miss this place so much, why haven't you asked Captain Rios to take you back?" Elnor asked.

Picard looked up from the book he was reading, then around at the room. "Oh, well, this actually wasn't my idea. Some well-meaning friends sent the specifications to the ship's hospitality program. They thought it would bring me comfort."

Elnor furrowed his brow. "Yet you keep using it."

Picard smiled softly. "So I do. In truth, when we first set out on my mission to rescue Soji, I hadn't expected to make it back to Earth to see my home again."

"But now you are well and will be for several years," Elnor pointed out.

"Indeed. I've always preferred to be out in space, though." He set his book aside. "What I do miss, however, are Zhaban and Laris, and Number One."

Elnor nodded sagely. "I understand this paradox. I would not return to Vashti, but I was missing it the other day. Captain Rios replicated some Romulan desserts. He said a taste of home often makes one feel better."

Picard broke into a beaming smile and stood. "Now that sounds like an excellent idea." He walked over to the replicator that had been set up in the holosuite. "Earl Grey, hot, and a bowl of ratatouille."

A mug and bowl of steaming contents materialized.

Elnor frowned as Picard brought them to his desk. "That is not dessert."

"The comforts of food from home don't have to be sugary, Elnor. It just has to bring you joy."

.o.0.o.

Agnes stood with her palms braced on the edge of the counter as she stared at the replicator.

"Is it broken?" Soji asked.

Agnes startled, then gave a nervous laugh. "No. I just can't decide what I want. Well, that's not true. I want some chocolate cake. A nice big slice. It's just that the last time I had one it didn't agree with me." She grimaced as she cut off her rambling.

She wasn't quite over the mental trauma Oh had inflicted on her and every horrible thing that had followed afterward, but she was at least in her right mind. And she was working through things. It was just that cake always made her feel better but at the moment even that was tainted by sour memories.

Soji came over and reached around Agnes to swipe through the replicator menu. "What about…tiramisu? Maybe a different kind of chocolate will agree with you better."

She huffed out a small smile. "Thanks. That's a good idea."

Soji smiled back and selected the item for the replicator to materialize. "My guilty pleasure is ice cream."

"With French fries," Agnes remembered.

"Or just a giant tub. I was actually thinking of testing how much my system could process before the sugar overloaded it, if it even would. Want to help me with the experiment?"

"Uh…" Agnes faltered.

Soji grinned. "I'm kidding. Mostly."

Two plates of tiramisu cake appeared in the replicator bay and Soji took one of them. Agnes picked up the other and they both went to take a seat.

"Why would you want to test those limits?" Agnes asked after taking a bite.

Soji shrugged. "It was just a thought I had during a private pity party. I wasn't serious."

"Ah. I'm familiar with those." She dropped her gaze to her cake.

Soji was quiet for a moment, slowly picking away at her tiramisu. "I think it's better to just have someone to share the pity binge eating with," she commented.

Agnes looked up, expression softening at the genuineness she saw in Soji. She scooped up a large bite on her fork. "I agree."

.o.0.o.

Seven strolled over to the transporter pad where Rios was unpacking a recent arrival of supplies. "Quite a lot of stuff you have here," she commented.

"Yeah, well, I suddenly have a bunch of extra people to provide for," he replied as he continued to sort the various cargo containers into piles.

"You should let us pitch in, like a real crew would be expected to."

Rios just tossed her a dry look.

Seven ignored it and went to open one of the containers to see where it should go. Her eyes widened in surprise when she found a stash of bright, plump strawberries.

"That goes down to the mess," Rios said.

"These are fresh?" she asked, bending her nose to them to inhale deeply. Oh yes, they smelled real, not replicated. And there was no reason to purchase a container of replicated strawberries to bring onboard.

"There's a farmer on this planet who specializes in Earth crops. Raffi asked me to get some."

"I haven't had strawberries in years," Seven said with a touch of nostalgia. Her time with the Fenris Rangers left little opportunity for…indulgence.

"I know," Raffi's voice interjected as she strode toward them. "Thanks for ruining the surprise," she directed toward Rios.

"You never said they were supposed to be a secret," he replied defensively.

Raffi huffed and turned to Seven. "I was going to make you something special with them."

Seven was touched. "You could have just replicated them," she pointed out.

"Well, the rest of the stuff for the shortcake will be," Raffi said, taking the container from her. "But not these. Nothing but the best for you, bae," she added with a fond smile.

Seven's lips tugged upward. It had been a long time since someone had done something so sweet for her, just because they wanted to. "I'm looking forward to it."

.o.0.o.

"He's brooding again," Raffi said.

Picard looked up from the game of chess he was playing with Agnes. "Who?"

"Who else," Seven interjected from the sofa where she was reading, though she didn't look up from her PADD.

"I've tried talking to him," Agnes chimed in. "But he keeps insisting nothing's wrong."

"He does prefer his own company," Picard reasoned. So did he, on many occasions, but he frequently found his study in the holosuite invaded by various people at various times. Not that he had any right to monopolize it, of course. And he rather enjoyed playing chess with Agnes or Seven and having talks with Elnor and Soji.

"I'm starting to feel like we're houseguests who have overstayed our welcome," Raffi said sullenly.

"You believe Captain Rios wants us to leave?" Elnor asked, sounding hurt.

"No," Agnes quickly answered. "He doesn't. He just…I think he's just not used to having a crew around."

"This ship is his home," Soji spoke up. "I think it's becoming home for a lot of us, but not just because of the bulkheads and skylights. At least, for me it includes all of you. I think we have to find a way to show Rios that the people on board can be home for him too."

Picard smiled inwardly. It was true; humans weren't meant to live in isolation, even Rios.

"When Picard and I were missing home, we replicated dishes that reminded us of Earth and Vashti," Elnor said. "If we present Captain Rios with food that makes him feel at home, perhaps he will consider us a part of it as well."

They all looked around at each other at the idea.

"Does anyone know what food that might be?" Picard finally put out there.

No one seemed to have an answer to that.

"I'll find out," Raffi said, striding to the desk and taking a seat to pull up the holographic computer terminal.

Elnor quirked a confused brow at her. "You're not going to just ask?"

"Where would the surprise be in that?"

"Uh, I doubt Cris would have a file entry labeled 'good food from home,'" Agnes added dubiously.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll have to hunt for it," Raffi said, undaunted, fingers already dancing over the data streams.

Picard shook his head in amusement. "Trust me, Raffi can find anything."

…

It took a bit of doing, but Raffi eventually found the region on Earth Rios was from. Then she researched the most popular dishes and tracked down recipes so she could program the replicator to reproduce the food exactly to spec. They ended up with a buffet spread on the mess table of a variety of delectable dishes that smelled tantalizing. Picard was looking forward to trying several of them.

Agnes appeared at the top of the stairs, tugging Rios along with her. "Come on," she prodded.

Rios slowed halfway down the steps as he took in the arrangement, expression slack with genuine surprise. "What is all this?"

"What's it look like?" Raffi replied. "Get down here and see for yourself."

He and Agnes finished descending the stairs and came over to get a better view. Rios's eyes widened.

"That smells like…"

"All the gourmet cuisine native to Chile," Raffi finished.

"Uh…" he floundered. "Why?"

"We wanted to present you with a little taste of home," Soji explained. "Because you invited us into yours, or maybe we more or less fell into it. But we hope you don't regret it."

Rios looked around at each of them, seeming stunned, and finally started to slowly shake his head. "I don't regret it," he said softly.

Agnes slipped a hand into his.

"Then let's dig in," Picard declared.

Raffi and Seven handed out plates and everyone began serving themselves.

"I can't believe you did this," Rios commented.

"Providing for your crew," Seven replied casually, "goes both ways."

"We did get it right, yes?" Elnor asked. "These are the dishes that represent the comforts of home for you?"

Rios's mouth softened into a small smile. "Yes." He picked up one of the empanadas. "It smells just like the ones my mother used to make."

Everyone shared pleased smiles at the success of their mission as they gathered around the other table to share a meal and the camaraderie of crew as family.


End file.
